Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Iran: Politics and Government

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessment of the situation in Iran; how this is affected by the reports that Russia has been sending advanced military equipment to Iran in exchange for drones; and what steps they are taking, including with international partners, to assess the risk of further serious human rights violations in Iran.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Iran's support for the Russian military campaign in Ukraine is deplorable and the supply of drones is in violation of UN Security Council resolution 2231. Russia is offering Iran an unprecedented level of military support, transforming their defence relationship and strengthening Iranian capability, further threatening regional and international security.  Recent executions of young people detained in connection to protests shows the Iranian authorities' callous disregard for their citizens' lives. At a Special Session of the Human Rights Council on 24 November, the UK and our partners established an investigative mechanism into the regime's human rights violations in response to protests. We continue to urge Iran to improve its human rights record at all opportunities, including working with international partners to ensure accountability.